On December 17, 2012 after the death of Daniel Inouye, Leahy became the new President pro tempore of the United States Senate.[3] After Inouye's death, Leahy is now the most senior Democrat in the United States.[4] Leahy is currently the longest serving senator in the United States. He took office at a younger age than any other current senator.

On January 3, 2015, Orrin Hatch succeeded Leahy as President pro tempore of the United States Senate. He was honored with the title President pro tempore emeritus soon afterwards.

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Leahy was born in Montpelier, Vermont, the son of Alba (née Zambon) and Howard Francis Leahy, a printer. His grandparents came to Vermont from Ireland and Italy during the 19th century to work at quarries.

Leahy graduated from Saint Michael's College in 1961 and received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1964. He practiced as a lawyer until he was elected as State's Attorney of Chittenden County in 1966 and re-elected in 1970.

Leahy was elected to the United States Senate for the first time in 1974, succeeding retiring 34-year incumbent George Aiken.[5] At 34 years old, he was the youngest Senator in Vermont history.[6] Leahy was nearly defeated in 1980 by Republican Stewart Ledbetter, winning by only 2,700 votes amid Ronald Reagan's landslide victory.[7] In 1986, he faced what was on paper an even stronger challenger in former governor Richard Snelling, but Leahy turned back this challenge, taking 63 percent of the vote. In 1992, he faced another opponent in Secretary of State of Vermont Jim Douglas, winning by 11 points.

Leahy was the first non-Republican Senator from Vermont since 1856. To this day, he is the only Democrat ever elected to the Senate from Vermont. He is technically one of only three Democrats to represent Vermont in either house of Congress since the end of the Civil War.

Upon the death of Senate President pro temporeDaniel Inouye on December 17, 2012, Leahy became the most senior senator in the majority party, and was elected as the new President pro tempore by unanimous consent.[3][11]

On January 3, 2015, Orrin Hatch succeeded Leahy as President pro tempore of the United States Senate. He was honored with the title President pro tempore emeritus soon afterwards.

Leahy married Marcelle Pomerleau in 1962.[12] They live in a farmhouse in Middlesex, Vermont that they moved to from Burlington, and have three children. Leahy celebrated his fifty year anniversary with his wife, saying ‘‘We hate it when we’re apart from one another.’’ Leahy is legally blind in one eye. Leahy was targeted in an anthrax attack November 16, 2001.